Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 11 July 1930
A Batsmen’s Day
Two Centuries at Denaby.
Denaby & Cadeby 289 for 6 Elsecar 159 for 1
The batsmen were definitely on top at Denaby where the home club entertained Elsecar. With two such teams and such a wicket it was obvious that the battle rested between the batsmen. Both teams are weak in attack and on the hard baked wicket bowlers toiled in vain. Really, the batsmen were never seriously troubled. It was a day for centuries and they came.
Deny batted first and Tibbles and Greenwood opened with the utmost confidence. Tibbles took four from the first over, but then had to retire with a damaged thumb, and the veteran Carlin took his place. Carlin immediately went for the howling and was soon flogging it all round the field. He gave a simple chance to the stomper at five and another at 21, but both were missed and proved highly expensive. Greenwood drove the ball into W. Lax’s hands at 25, but the bowler could not hold. A few runs later Carlin received two “lives” in succession. Lax dropped what appeared to be an easy chance. Carlin skied the next ball, and Woolley only had to wait for it. He did, and let it bounce from his grasp.
The partnership was going strong when Woolley put up a simple catch to Woolley at mid-on, and Tibbles returned with the score at 93, and 100 appeared in an hour and 5 minutes.
Then Tibbles started. The ground fielding had been exceptionally smart, but the fielders had been well worked end they welcomed the respite afforded by Tibbles’ boundary drives. He drove four 4’s in succession, and got a couple more shortly after. Bowling changes, and by time there had been six, proved ineffective. Tibbles was unworried by break balls, but he went out to one from Senior and Kay whipped off the hails. He bad batted 20 minutes during which he hit 11 boundaries.
Carlin gave another chance to the leg side with his wore at 56, but it went begging and he went on merrily to get his century. Had he been a younger and more active man he could have almost doubled his score. The bowling was never difficult: in fact it was never better than poor and he punished it as he should have. Wickets fell quickly after Tibbles left and a declaration was made with the score at 289 for 8. Carlin had batted 2 hours and 35 minutes for 102 not out and had scored 12 fours and 3 twos.
Elsecar were left two hours in which to bat, and, of course, the remit was a foregone conclusion. They set off at a lively pace, Woolley scoring freely all round the wicket. They certainly made an effort to get the runs. Woolley and Lax put on in an hour and 35 minutes for the first wicket. Woolley’s innings was almost faultless and a pleasure to watch. Only once did he give a real chance and that was at 191. Robinson should have had the bails off, but he fumbled. Time brought the game to a close, and Elsecar had succeeded in making their ninth draw!